Lamp base



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Patented Jan. 8, 1946 malignos-ta naissant nem-ly.

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'nus invention relatesto lamps and particularly tosuch lamps which anrbent into curved form and having their ends-disposed in opposed relation.

In lamps of the type indicated. imm-necessary to provide special means for makingcthe necessary connections ior'venergizing the lamp. It is v invention.:` .to .provide means for f ofpower..

A further object of -tile-afinvention ll's to provide a bent tubular lamp having a base Joining its ends which is rotatable into a plurality of positions. A further obiect of the invention is to provide in a bent tubular lamp having its ends disposed in opposed relation a base which is readily appliedy to the lamp at a minimum of cost.

Other objects K and features will more fully appear from the following description and will be particularly pointed `out in the claims.

The present invention may be applied to var ious types of electric discharge lamps but will be described herein in connection with hot or cold cathode iiuorescent lamps. In certain applications of this type of lighting the use of elongated straight tube lamps is inconvenient or impossible consequently the curved tube lamp which is bent Y back upon itself was developed. Such lamps provide an ample supply of light in a relatively restricted space. An obvious form for such a lamp is the circular type as described herein. However, the lamp may present other forms than that of a circle. The ends of tube are positioned in opposed relationand spaced a short distance apart.l A base member of insulating material is molded in two hollow semi-cylindrical sections which are placed around the tube ends and held together by suitable fastening means. In one form of the invention the assembled base member dts loosely upon the tube ends permitting it to be rotated into various positions. one of the sections is provided with contact pins for supplying current to the lamp. Two or more such pins are provided depending upon the circuit connections required by the lamp used. The pins dedrably project into the base substantially to its axis and ilexible wires connect the pins to the filaments or other electrodes of the lamp.

In another form of the invention a pair of plug members are cemented into the ends of the lamp in fixed position and are provided with openings through which the lamps lead wires are Ted. The plugs constitute a fixed inner member. An outer hollow cylindrical member is fitted to and outermemberisprovidedwithconeuctorpins theinnerendsofwhichtravelinslotsiormed in the inner member.I

To present a better understanding of the inven- .tion particular exrxbodiinents thereof will be dascribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewfof alampeml bodying the invention:

through the lamp base:

Figure 2 is a longitudinal Figure 3 is a cross sectional view .on line 3 4. Figure 2:

Figure e is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing a diilerent embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the adlustability of the device; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view partially in section of the lamp base shown in Figure 4.

The invention applies particularly to lamps in which the tube ends are disposed in opposed lrelation and spaced a short distance apart. Their general shape may be circular or any desired conformation. The close proximity of the tube ends permit connections to the lamp electrodes to be made within one connecting device which will hereinafter be termed the lamp base.

As shown in the drawing the invention is apn plied to a circular lamp l presenting end faces l.

The faces t desirably are parallel and symmetrically disposed with respect to a radius from the center of the lamp circle.

The lamp base I is made generally in the form of a hollow cylinder divided longitudinally into two sections It and ii the sections desirably being molded of insulating material and are held together by any suitable means such as the screw i2 the head of which is seated in the portion Il and having its otherend threaded in the part I i. Such construction permits the lamp base to be assembled upon the lamp. An interlocking rabbet construction i3 is formed along the edges ot the sections Il and il to prevent relative laterally movement thereof.

The ends of the base 0 are formed to present chambers or recesses il within which the ends ci the lamp are loosely received. The ends of the lamp project a substantial distance into the recesses it to insure the base will not become detached from the lamp. In the form oi the invention shown in Figure 2 a relatively large central chamber i5 is formed within which nexible lamp lead wires il are received.

arranged to rotate upon the inner member. The l5 The ends of the lamp are. or may be, of standview A ard construction having a reentrant flare portion il and a press portion I8 within the tube and supporting the lamp electrodes I9. The lead wires I6 are soldered to the inner ends of a pair of conductor pins 20 which are molded or otherwise iixed in position in the base section Il and are spaced the correct distance to be received in a socket made to receive them not shown in the drawing. Either two or four pins may be employed depending upon the type of lamp used and its circuit requirements.

In use the socket for supplying the lamp with its operating current may be situated in a number of diiIerent positions within a fixture, lamp stand or other installation and permit the lamp base to be readily received therein. The design of the device in which the lamp is used may require that the lamp be inserted m a certain manner while' another device may require its insertion in a different manner depending on their mechanical and electrical structure. The present invention enables the lamp to ber inserted in installations having a wide variety of structural designs. By rotating the base S into its most convenient angular position the installation of the lamp is greatly facilitated. In Figure three angular positions of the base are shown. Any intermediate position may also beused. It is also possible to insert the base s in its socket and thereaiter swing the lamp into its operating position.

It is obvious that the flexibility in the application of the lamp provides a greatly enlarged scope for the designer of nxtures, lamp stands or other devices in which the lamps are used. Moreover, a lamp embodying the invention overcomes the possibility that several varieties of lamps having different types of ilxed bases must be made for use in various illuminating units. One lamp with adjustable base fulillls the requirements.

It is desirable that the base 1 be restricted in its rotation to prevent excessive twisting of the lead wires. It has been found that an angular adjustment of approximately 240 is sunlcient to adapt the lamp to any installation. A desirable means for accomplishing this end is to form a projection 2| upon the 2nd face of the lamp at or near its periphery. Stop shoulders are provided which engage the projection 2| at the limit of the travel of the base 9. Stop shoulders may be provided in any suitable manner. As illustrated in the drawing the portion of at least one of the recesses Il formed in the section of the base 8 is relatively shallow in depth while that portion formed in the section I0 is of greater depth and suillcient to receive the projection 2|. The difference in depth between the two portions of the recesses Il presents stop shoulders 22 best shown in Figure 3, which engage the projection 2|.

A modied form of the invention is shown in Figures 4 and 6 wherein the base 23 is composed of an outer shell which rotates upon an inner structure cemented to the lamp ends. 'I'he outer shell is made up of two semi-cylindrical portions 24 and 25 held together by the screw 26, the outer shell is tted to the inner structure to freely rotate thereon.

The inner structure is composed of a pair of discs 21 and 28 which have conical end faces 29 which project into and are cemented within the flares in the lamp ends. The two discs are disposed in axial alignment and spaced apart a short distance which provides a chamber in which the screw 26 may move. Desirably the inner wall of the outer member is grooved to embrace the discs and thus maintain alignment between the outer ascuas shell and the inner fixed structure. The discs are provided with axial apertures 30 through which the lamp lead wires are l'ed.

The conductor pins 3| ilxed in the member 2S extend inward through radial slots 22 in the discs 21 and 28, and outward for reception in a socket member not shown. The slots 32 limit the rotation of the outer member. This modified form of the invention functions in the same manner es the form of the invention tlrst described and may be provided with two or more conductor pins.

What I claim is:

l. In combination with a tubular discharge lamp of non linear coniiguration having its ends disposed in spaced opposed relation, a hollow cylindrical base member loosely embracing the ends of the lamp and extending therebetween whereby the base may be rotated thereon, lead wires connected to the lamp electrodes and extending into said base member, conductor pins extending through and secured in said base, the inner ends of the pins projecting into the hollow interior of the base and their other ends projecting outwani for connection to a source of energy and means to connect said lead wires to said pins.

2. In combination with a tubular discharge lamp of non linear conguration having its ends disposed in spaced opposed relation, a hollow cylindrical base member loosely embracing rotatably mounted upon and extending between the ends of the lamp tube, electrodes within the ends of the lamp having lead wires extending through the lamp ends and into the interior of the |base, said base being split lengthwise to permit attachment to the lamp and a plurality of conductor pins an chored in the wall of said base projecting into the base, means to connect the pins to said lead wires, said pins having outward extensions for reception in a socket.

3. In combination with a tubular discharge lamp of non linear configuration having its ends disposed in spaced opposed relation, a cylindrical base member extending between the lamp end for eiecting electrical connection to both ends of the lamp, said base member being divided lengthwise into two sections to permit attachment to the lamp, means for securing the sections totether. said base having an axial aperture therethrough, said aperture being enlarged at its end to form recesses within which the lamp ends are loosely received permitting rotation of the base thereon, lead wires connected to the lamp electrodes and extending into said aperture, a plurality of conductor pins anchored in the base member, projecting inward into said aperture for connection to said lead wires and extending outward for connection to a supply circuit.

4. In combination with a tubular discharge lamp of non linear form having its ends disposed in spaced opposed relation, a hollow cylindrical base member extending between and loosely embracing the ends of the lamp thus permitting its rotation thereon, a projection from at least one of the lamp ends, a. pair of stop shoulders on said ybase member spaced at least and situated in a radial plane common to said projection said shoulders acting to limit the rotation of the base by engaging said projection, lead wires connected to the lamp electrodes and extending into said base and a plurality oi conductor pins anchored in said base extending inward and connected to said lead wires and projecting outward for oonnection to a supply circuit.

5. In combination with a tubular discharge lamp of non linear form having its ends disposed Sembly upon the inner member, lead wire; con. 1@-

nected to the lamp electrodes and extending into said aperture in the inner member, radial slots extending through said inner member and embracing an angle of at least 90, a plurality of conductor pins anchored in said outer member projecting inward through said slots and connected to said lead wires said pins also projecting outward for connection to a supply circuit.

RALPH B. THOMAS. 

